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What is the meaning of "Hephzibah" in the Bible?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

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10
Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
In Old Testament times, the Israelites understood the power behind a name. Whether there was actual spiritual blessing or power imparted through a God-given name, or whether the names given simply ...

July 01 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Philip medium Philip Davies Supporter
An old girlfriend of mine named her bicycle Hephzibah and I asked her why and she said because "my delight is in her". And I said, "of course!"

Regards
Philip

January 07 2015 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


1
My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair
According to Strong's Concordance, 
Chephtsi-bah: "my delight is in her," a name for Zion, also the mother of King Manasseh
Original Word: חֶפְּצִי בָּהּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Chephtsi-bah
Phonetic Spelling: (khef-tsee'baw)
Definition: "my delight is in her", a name for Zion, also the mother of King Manasseh.

According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Hephzibah was the queen [wife] of King Hezekiah and the mother 
of Manasseh. (2 Kings 21:1) (B.C. 709-696.)

According to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin: from chephets

The definition of Hephzibah is "my delight is in her," a name for Zion, also the mother of King Manasseh.

NASB Translation: Hephzibah 

Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB), a Hebrew lexicon or dictionary of the Old Testament, has: 

חֶפְצִיבָֿהּ proper name, feminine (my delight is in her; compare Phoenician חפצבעל) —
1 mother of king Manasseh 2 Kings 21:1.
2 figurative name of Zion Isaiah 62:4, here explained by כִּי חפץ יהוה בָּךְ for Yahweh delighteth in thee.

This, too, could be said of the Christian who walks with the King: (Psalm 37:23) "The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey."

October 19 2021 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


1
Mini Jeffrey Johnson Supporter
What is the meaning of "Hephzibah" in the Bible?

Hephzibah in the Bible means "my delight is in her”, a Hebrew name expressing joy, favour, and divine pleasure. 

This reflects a sense of cherished affection, often interpreted as expressing God's delight in His people. 

Root idea: The Hebrew root also carries the sense of guarding or protecting, suggesting someone who is both delighted in and safeguarded. 

Where Hephzibah Appears in Scripture

1. Historical Person — 2 Kings 21:1 Hephzibah is named as the wife of King Hezekiah and the mother of King Manasseh of Judah.

Her name likely expressed her parents' or husband's deep affection and hope for her. 

2. Symbolic Name — Isaiah 62:4

In a prophecy of restoration, the prophet foretells the restoration of Zion and the Jewish people after times of exile and desolation. God declares: "No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you..."

Here, the name represents a dramatic spiritual transformation. God promises to change Israel's identity from "Deserted" (or Forsaken) to Hephzibah ("my delight is in her"). 

It serves as a powerful metaphor for God's unfailing grace, promising that despite the nation's past unfaithfulness, He will restore them and take great joy and pleasure in His people.

Theological Themes Connected to Hephzibah

God's delight and joy in His people

Covenant faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness

Restoration after judgment

Intimacy between God and His people

Conclusion:

Beulah means "married" and speaks of Israel's repossession of the land, meaning reclaimed, protected, fruitful, and permanently restored. 

This name change marks a renewed covenant, similar to other biblical name changes that signal transformation and new identity.

It communicates love, protection, restoration, and divine favour—a powerful reminder of God's enduring commitment to His people. 

"God is committed to His people again."

Fruitfulness and stability will return. 

In the Bible, Hephzibah appears as both a literal name for a royal queen and a symbolic title for the city of Jerusalem.

Beulah means God says, "You are married to Me—secure, restored, and fruitful."

Hephzibah is most notably mentioned in 2 Kings 21:1 as the mother of King Manasseh.

Historically and biblically, Hephzibah's legacy is deeply intertwined with this tragic familial paradox—being the devoted wife to a righteous reformer and the mother to a highly corrupt monarch.

Together, they proclaim one of the Bible's strongest images of renewed covenant love after a season of judgment and desolation.

July 13 2026 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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